Michael Strong is an educational entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of several ventures focused on liberating human potential — including the Academy of Thought and Industry and The Socratic Experience. He writes about innovation in education, startup cities, and moral development, follow Michael on Twitter
We talk about how schooling shapes society, what freedom means in practice, and why creating better institutional environments matters more than reforming broken ones. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.
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Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
02:51 – The moral vision behind Socratic dialogue
05:42 – School as an obedience-training system
08:33 – The pain and purpose of adolescent development
11:24 – Why most schools kill intrinsic motivation
14:15 – Reimagining schools through freedom and trust
17:06 – Human capital and educational entrepreneurship
19:57 – Startup cities as moral ecosystems
22:48 – The importance of good rules vs lots of rules
25:39 – Why real liberty includes responsibility
28:30 – Institutions that align with human flourishing
31:21 – Virtue ethics, Aristotle, and thriving students
34:12 – How to scale good ideas without bureaucracy
37:03 – The future of self-directed learning
39:54 – Unschooling, discipline, and long-term outcomes
42:45 – Building a moral culture without coercion
45:36 – School as simulation vs engagement with reality
48:27 – The spiritual dimension of creative work
51:18 – Final thoughts on education, meaning, and freedom
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